Bienvenido “Bong” Llanes (Survivors ’78) finished his BS in Forestry degree in 1982 and his Master in Forestry (major in Social Forestry) in 1990. Bong is currently doing his private law practice in Dumaguete City. He is happily married to Dr. Roilda Erames, a medical officer at PNOC-EDC Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field.

Bong Llanes

Bong

You graduated with a BSF degree. What triggered you to pursue a law degree?
Initially, I do not have an iota of intention to pursue a law degree. After finishing my B.S. Forestry degree in 1982, I was immediately employed at the Regional Office of the then Bureau of Forest Development based in Davao City. In 1983, I returned to UPLB College of Forestry purposely to take my review for the Forestry Licensure Examination. While taking my review, I was employed as Training Assistant with the UPLB-CF Forestry Extension Office. After taking the board examination, I was assigned at the UPLB-CF Southern Philippines Forestry Extension Office in Davao City. Then came the Aquino assassination which triggered some political and economic instability in our country and UPLB-CF was financially hard up in maintaining an office in Southern Philippines. Our Office was then closed and we were all recalled back to UPLB. The Forestry Extension Office was then integrated with the former Institute of Forest Conservation (IFC). Again, while at UPLB, I pursued and finished my Master in Forestry degree.

When I got married in 1991 to a medical doctor who is from Dumaguete City, I again transferred employment to DENR-CENRO based in Dumaguete City. I headed the Forest Utilization Unit and at the same time was actively engaged in activities related to Forest Protection and Law Enforcement. It was a tough job to be in the forefront of implementing and enforcing forest protection laws and regulations. We filed cases against persons (some of them have political influence and connection) who violated forestry laws and regulations. Some of the cases were dismissed while still at the preliminary investigation stage before the Office of the Prosecutor and I could not understand why. In one instance, we confiscated one shipload of lumber from Tawi-tawi because of spurious documents. Instead of us filing a case against the shipper, we found ourselves defending a case filed against us before the Ombudsman. Our employer (DENR) did not even extend legal nor financial support to defend us even though the case filed was work-related. Luckily for me, I engaged the legal services of my father-in-law for free. For my co-employees, they had to pay the legal services from their own pocket. Fortunately, the case was dismissed. All of these made me decide to pursue a law degree because to my mind, knowledge of the law is important in one’s public and private life.

Where did you pursue your law degree? When did you finish?
I took and finished my law degree from Silliman University in 1998. Because of the tough requirements in law school, I resigned from DENR-CENRO and sought employment as a confidential staff in the Office of the Vice-Governor, Province of Negros Oriental. My job with the LGU-Negros Oriental was not hectic and I acted as the secretary, liason officer, adviser, etc. assigned to a provincial board member who happened to be my father-in-law. I worked during the dayt and attended my law classes at night from Monday to Friday and whole day of every Saturday. I studied law as if I was a full-time student because before you enter the classroom, you must be ready for recitation. You must always read your law books and relevant Supreme Court decided cases. The study of law is likened to having a jealous mistress because it demands a substantial part of your time. Every spare time must be devoted to reading, analyzing, and understanding the law and its application.

What’s your current job? How long have you been in your current job?

Bong and his family

Bong Llanes with wife Roilda Erames, daughter Rio May and son Bien Rafael. Both children are high school students in Catherina Cittadini (St. Louis) School of Dumaguete City. Rio is in third year while Bien is in second year.

Presently, I am engaged in private law practice. I am connected with the ERAMES Law Firm here in Dumaguete City. This law firm is composed of my father-in-law as our senior partner, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and myself. We handle all kinds of cases, but majority are criminal cases. Presently, I have a pending application before the Regional Trial Court of Negros Oriental as Clerk of Court. This is a position next to a judge. My long term plan is to become a Judge someday.

Last Updated on October 12, 2016 by Tudla_Admin